WASHINGTON — On Jan. 3, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-NM, responded to President Trump’s tweet on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and to reports that the White House is seeking to avoid discussion of DACA during a meeting with congressional leadership:

“President Trump’s continued heartlessness toward DREAMers and his political brinkmanship with their future is a stain on our country and on the office of the president. The fear and chaos in immigrant communities following the Trump administration’s DACA decision are heartbreaking problems that the president himself has caused. But once again, President Trump won’t take an ounce of responsibility for the hurt he has caused our country. As the president tweets dangerously erratic broadsides about DREAMers, the White House is saying that it wants to put DACA on the back-burner. The Trump administration wants to sweep this Trump-created emergency under the rug at today’s meeting with congressional leaders, as an urgent deadline looms.

“The future of 800,000 promising young immigrants – including nearly 7,000 from New Mexico – is in jeopardy. Congress must make protecting DREAMers an urgent priority. These young people know no other home than the United States. It’s shameful for the president to use them as a bargaining chip to try and build an unnecessary, ineffective and immoral border wall. It’s time for Republicans in Congress to step up to the plate, live up to their years of rhetoric, and join with Democrats to pass the DREAM Act. And we must continue the fight to pass real, comprehensive immigration reform that protects and honors the millions and millions of immigrants who are the lifeblood of New Mexico and the nation.”